Revision as of 00:10, 9 September 2010

SoMa skyscraper - St. Regis Museum Tower

SoMa, short for South of Market, is an area of downtown San Francisco south of Market Street and northeast of the Mission District. It is San Francisco's urban renewal district, bordered roughly by Market Street on the northwest, the 101 Freeway (from Market Street to I-80) and 16th Street (from 101 to the San Francisco Bay) on the south, and the San Francisco Bay on the east.

Contents

Understand

Once home to warehouses and dilapidated Victorian houses, SoMa saw an artistic and club culture revival in the 1980s. By the time of the Internet boom of the 1990s, the "live-work" buildings of this area had become prime real estate, and the artists and musicians who had made it cool could no longer afford the sky-high rentals.

With the burst of the dot.com bubble, SoMa has become somewhat more affordable, but has also lost many of the businesses that made the area attractive during the boom. Some of the best clubs are still in SoMa, but a taxi is recommended for getting around, especially after dark as some areas are still a bit dangerous.

Get in

Map of SoMa

Being at the San Francisco end of the Bay Bridge and the heart of San Francisco's public transit network, there are extensive transit options to this district.

By rail

Caltrain[69], a commuter rail line between San Jose and San Francisco, terminates at the Caltrain station at 4th & King Streets.

Bordered by Market Street on its northwest side, SoMa is within easy walking distance of all MUNI Metro[70] lines and the several BART[71] lines which run under Market Street. Running on Market Street is the F-Line Streetcar which stops frequently on its route from the Castro to the Ferry Building, then north on the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf.

Additionally, the MUNI Metro T-Third and N-Judah lines emerge from the Market Street subway and travel through the SoMa district, stopping at a few places along the Embarcadero south of Market, including AT&T Park. The N line stops at the Caltrain station, while the T line continues south down 3rd Street into Southeast San Francisco.

By bus

MUNI[72] offers extensive bus service through SoMa, with nearly every street having a bus line of some sort. Routes 10-Townsend, 20-Columbus, 30-Stockton, 45-Union/Stockton and 47-Van Ness are the best bets for getting down from the neighborhoods to the north, like Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf. Routes 1-California, 5-Fulton, 6-Parnassus, 38-Geary and 71-Haight-Noriega are some of the best for getting in from eastern neighborhoods like The Avenues, while routes 9-San Bruno, 12-Folsom/Pacific, 14-Mission, 26-Valencia and 27-Bryant come up from Southern San Francisco through the Mission district.

Nearly all intercity bus service into San Francisco runs into SoMa, including Greyhound[73], MUNI, and various other Bay Area transit services (AC Transit[74], samTrans[75], Golden Gate Transit[76], and WestCAT[77]). Due to the current reconstruction of the Transbay Terminal, all this service currently goes to the Transbay Temporary Terminal[78] at Main and Howard Streets. Facilities are minimal, with bus bays for Bay Area service on the Howard Street side of the terminal and on the streets surrounding the site, and Greyhound service on the Folsom Street side of the terminal.

By car

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which is part of Interstate Highway 80, offers a direct connection from the cities of the East Bay area (such as Oakland) to SoMa. After getting into San Francisco, any of the first three exits (Fremont/Folsom, 5th Street, 8th Street) will lead you into SoMa before I-80 terminates at US-101.

From the south, there are two freeways running into SoMa: I-280 dead ends near the Caltrain Station - stay in the right lanes to get onto 6th Street, or stay in the left lanes to get onto King Street and past the Caltrain Station and AT&T Park. US-101 comes up from the south to merge into I-80, where you can get off onto I-80 and take one of the two eastbound exits into SoMa, or stay on US-101 (stay in the left lanes) and exit at 9th Street or Mission Street before the freeway terminates at Market Street (US-101 continues north as Van Ness Avenue).

SoMa is also well-connected to other San Francisco neighborhoods by surface streets. From the north, The Embarcadero is the best one for getting down from Fisherman's Wharf, while Van Ness Avenue is the best for getting from the Golden Gate area. Between those two are a number of other major thoroughfares, such as Montgomery, Stockton and Hyde Streets, which will also do nicely. From the south and southwest, 3rd Street, Mission Street and Market Street all work well.

Parking here, as anywhere else in San Francisco, can be a challenge, but there a number of parking garages in the district, including a large one at Mission between Fifth and Fourth streets for the Moscone Center. People driving to a Giants game are advised to park at the large parking lot along 3rd Street just south of AT&T Park, just across the canal.

By boat

Two ferry companies offer special ferry service to Giants home games at AT&T Park: Golden Gate Ferry[79] from Larkspur, and Alameda Oakland Ferry[80] from Alameda and Oakland.

See

Moscone Center, 747 Howard Street, ☎+1 415 974-4000, [1]. Stretching across adjacent two full blocks between Mission, Folsom, 3rd and 4th Streets (with another building across the street at 4th and Howard), Moscone Center is a major convention center and entertainment complex with a variety of attractions. As a convention center, the Moscone Center houses major exhibits and conventions, including a number of major (especially IDG) expos that occur each year, including Apple Computer-related expos such as Macworld and Apple's WWDC, and LinuxWorld. The main entrance to the Moscone Convention Center is on Howard St. (on both side of the street) in between 3rd and 4th Sts.,and the Center is divided into Moscone North, between Howard and Mission Sts., and Moscone South, between Howard and Folsom Sts. Moscone North and Moscone South is connected at the lower level underneath Howard St.; Moscone West is not connected to Moscone North or Moscone South.[2]

Charles Looff Carousel, (corner of 4th and Howard). Daily 10AM-6PM. A beautiful carousel dating back to 1906, now fully restored and open for rides.$2 per ride.

Metreon, 101 4th Street (at Mission), ☎+1 415 369-6000, [3]. This Sony Entertainment-sponsored mall/entertainment complex has some interesting shops (including an entire store devoted to the Sony Playstation), a 15-screen movie theater with an IMAX screen, and a video game parlor/arcade where you can drink and play virtual bowling. A food court on the lower level serves the convention area and is overwhelmed during lunch hours of the major conventions.

Yerba Buena Gardens, ☎+1 415 820-3550, [6]. Daily 6AM-10PM. The Yerba Buena Gardens, above the Moscone Convention Center, provide a nice urban oasis. A large grassy meadow, a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., play places for kids, fountains and gardens make this a great place to come, play and relax.Free.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 3rd Street (across the street from the Yerba Buena Gardens), ☎+1 415 357-4000, [9]. F-Tu 11AM-5:45PM, Th 11AM-8:45PM. An innovative art museum with five floors of galleries featuring changing exhibitions as well as permanent displays featuring the works of some very famous 20th century artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and many others. Be sure to see the unique glass bridge on the 5th floor, perched high above the main lobby.$12.50 adults, $8 seniors, $7 students, free for children 12 and under.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 51 Yerba Buena Lane (just off Market between 3rd and 4th Streets), ☎+1 415 227-4888, [10]. M-Tu, Th–F 11AM–6PM, Sa-Su 11AM–5PM. This is the only folk art museum in Northern California, known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world.$5 adults, $4 seniors, free for under 18.

The Artists Alley, 863 Mission St., ☎+1 415 522-2440, [15]. Tu-Su 11AM-7PM. One of the largest art galleries in California, the space is more than 4000 sq. and exhibits works of over 50 San Francisco Bay Area artists.

South Park, along Park Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. This is a charming quiet park in the middle of the hustle and bustle of industrial SoMa. Eat at any of the small restaurants around the edges, they are all pretty good. Not very nice at night since homeless use the park to sleep.

Treasure Island. An artificial island half-way between San Francisco and Oakland connected to Yerba Buena Island which the Bay Bridge passes through. The island has excellent views of the San Francisco and Oakland skylines and quirky structures from the international fairground turned-navy base-turned neighborhood. Accessible by Muni bus line 108 from the Transbay Terminal in SoMa.

Do

A view of left field and the bleachers on a gorgeous day for Giants baseball

San Francisco Giants - AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (at Third and King Streets), ☎+1 415 972-1800, [17]. One of the building projects that revitalized this area, the stadium is an imposing brick edifice that has all the necessary modern amenities, such as beer and Wi-Fi. It looks out upon San Francisco Bay, which makes a fine backdrop for those home runs that splash into McCovey Cove. On days where there are no Giants home games, public tours of the ballpark are available at 10:30AM and 12:30PM.Giants tickets range from $10 to over $100, depending on section and date of game. Ballpark tours $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 children.

Dore Alley. This street hosts the Up Your Alley Fair. It is the warm up event for the famous Folsom Street Fair. Held the last Sunday in July, this preview is smaller, wilder, more local, but no less crowded and just as fun.

The Folsom Street Fair, [19]. This annual event, held on the last Sunday in September, features Leather, Bondage, Rubber and other Fetish and BDSM activities. Stretching over a mile you will find wall-to-wall dance clubs, bands, and booths where you can shop for a whip or learn about safe sex. It started out as an underground event to protest the gentrification of SoMa. It is organized by a non-profit to raise funds for many SF area charities. It's a world class event, and the third largest outdoor event in California. With a suggested donation is $5, it's quite a bargain today.

LovEvolution (formerly Love Parade and Love Fest), [20]. A yearly annual event held on a Saturday in late September or early October. It has become the largest public electronic music festival in the nation. The revelers and floats gather at 2nd and Howard, with the floats going down Market and ending at Civic Center Plaza. It attracts well known electronic DJ's and thousands of partiers, with some dressing up in wacky costumes to join in the parade.

Buy

Alexander Book Co., 50 2nd Street (between Stevenson and Jessie), ☎+1 415 495-2992, [21]. M-F 9AM-6PM. A large independent bookstore with three floors of thousands of new books.

Metreon, 101 4th Street (at Mission), ☎+1 415 369-6000, [24]. A Sony Entertainment-sponsored mall/entertainment complex has some interesting shops, such an an entire store devoted to the Sony Playstation, a book store, a toy store, and a couple of other electronics/entertainment related stores.

Eat

In addition to the numerous restaurants listed below, there are also food courts in the Metreon and the San Francisco Shopping Center, both of which are large and offer a variety of restaurants; although in the case of the Metreon, be sure to avoid the food court during lunch hours of any major convention, when the lines for each restaurant will get very long.

Budget

Brainwash, 1122 Folsom Street (at Langton between 7th and 8th Streets), ☎+1 415 431-9274, [27]. M-Th 7AM-10PM, F-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 8AM-10PM. It's a Laundromat! It's a cafe! It's a pub! It's all of the above. A fine place to do your laundry while grabbing a beer, some lunch, playing a little pinball, surfing the net, chatting with your friends, or watching a live show.

Chaat Cafe, 320 Third Street (near Folsom), ☎+1 415 979-9946, [29]. One block from Moscone Center, this Indian restaurant serves an extensive menu of dishes from Indian street food, wraps, salads, and tandoori to curries, with no MSG, all at reasonable prices. First Indian "fast-food" chain. M-F lunch special $5.

Katz Bagels, 606 Mission Street (between New Montgomery and 2nd Street), ☎+1 415 512-1570. One of very few places to get actual bagels in California. Yes they're boiled, then baked. Open from the morning commute hours through lunchtime. Try the sandwiches.

Delancey Street Restaurant, 600 Embarcadero Street, ☎+1 415 512-5179, [32]. Tu-F 11AM-11PM, Sa-Su 10AM-11PM. It's not just a restaurant, it's a training school for the Delancey Street Foundation - an organization that helps people rebuild their lives from scratch. Nice backdrop of the San Francisco Bay and cheap eats to boot.

Gordon Biersch Brewery and Restaurant, 2 Harrison Street (between Spear and the Embarcadero), ☎+1 415 243-8246, [33]. Su-Th 11:30AM-Midnight, F-Sa 11:30AM-2AM. You'll need a mint or four after sampling their garlic fries, which some say are the best in the city. Relatively standard pub fare with their own brews available on tap.

Hidive, Pier 28 (on the Embarcadero near the Bay Bridge), ☎+1 415 977-0170, [34]. This is where SoMa residents go for quick meetings and meals. You can also find decent food here to go along with the great waterfront views.

Tres Agaves, 130 Townsend Street (between 2nd and 3rd), ☎+1 415 227-0500, [38]. Su-W 11:30AM-10PM, Th-Sa 11:30AM-11PM. Best margaritas in the city, along with great Mexican food. The food comes with so many sides that one appetizer and one entree is easily enough for 2 people.

Splurge

Yank Sing, 101 Spear Street (in the Rincon Center near the Embarcadero), ☎+1 415 781-1111, [40]. M-F 11AM-3PM, Sa-Su 10AM-4PM. This is the place for dim sum, and thus you might need to wait 30 minutes (at most) to have a table. You do not need a menu to order your food; the staff lets you choose what you want to eat from carts pushed around from the dining room. The shrimp, dumplings, and duck here are delicious. The setting of the restaurant is also wonderful.

Jillians, 101 4th Street (inside the Sony Metreon), ☎+1 415 369-6100, [47]. This upscale sports bar has a huge video wall great for watching sports. There are also 8 well kept pool tables for something to do. This bar becomes a dance club on Friday and Saturday nights with a strict dress code -- nice shoes required.

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company, 661 Howard Street, ☎+1 415 974-0905, [48]. An upscale brewpub/restaurant and favorite expense-account spot for the trade show crowd from nearby Moscone Center. The cask-conditioned ale is satisfying, but the place can get crowded.

The Cat Club, 1190 Folsom Street (at 8th), ☎+1 415 703-8964, [50]. Thursday is 80's night where you're guaranteed to hear at least one Madonna song throughout the night.$6 cover.

DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street (near Folsom), ☎+1 415 626-1409, [51]. The DNA Lounge is a 2-story club which often caters to the geekier "digerati" crowd. One of the founders is Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape superstar and Internet nabob. Events feature themed electronica dance nights (Industrial, Techno, Trance, etc) and live bands.There is usually a cover between $3 and $25 (for the bands).

The End Up, 401 6th Street (at Harrison), ☎+1 415 357-0827, [52]. An SF institution. Essentially doesn't close on the weekend, and thus where people 'end up'. Great old school SF house music. Unexpected outdoor patio/waterfall space to chill.

Mezzanine, 444 Jessie Street (at Mint, between 5th and 6th), ☎+1 415 625-8880, [53]. Where all the shirtless buff gay boys go. Great sound system. If you like cheesy techno and disco diva wailing music, this is the place.